Most recent articles by Hans Dembowski
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State and religion in Iran"Shias tend to support the underdogs"
The Shia faith has always been a defining aspect of Iranian nationhood. In the twentieth century, the pro-Western regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi silenced critics and was eventually toppled by a popular revolution with strong religious dimensions in 1979. Tehran's stance has since been basically anti-Western, but that may now be changing. Maysam Behravesh, a political analyst with Tehran Bureau, assessed the nature of the Shia regime in an interview with Hans Dembowski
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Egypt's Political CrisisDiplomacy's Dilemma
In view of Egypt's severe crisis, western diplomats must focus on two things: human rights and economic prospects for the people. A commentary by Hans Dembowski
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US Response to the Riots in the Muslim WorldDon't Set the Wrong Example
September saw an outburst of anger across much of the Muslim world in response to a propaganda video that made fun of the Prophet Mohammed. Cartoons that followed added fuel to the fire. So far, the reaction of Western governments has been appropriate. The US, however, must not now repeat past mistakes and start hunting terrorists in Libya. A commentary by Hans Dembowski
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The Arab SpringThe Scope of Revolution
Unlike most of the Arab World, Tunisia and Egypt have a pronounced sense of national identity. In other countries, religious, ethnic and tribal loyalties tend to be stronger. For this reason, many observers believe that largely peaceful revolutions as witnessed in Tunis and Cairo would be impossible in most other Arab countries. Martin Beck of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation disagrees